Large wheel-thrown pottery

Rochester Institute of Technology

RIT Scholar Works

Theses

Thesis/Dissertation Collections

5-22-1973

Large wheel-thrown pottery

Eddie Davis

Follow this and additional works at:

http://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Thesis/Dissertation Collections at RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please [email protected].

Recommended Citation

LAECS WHEEL - THROWN POTTERY

By

Eddie Davis

CANDIDATE FOR MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN THE COLLEGE

OF FINE AND APPLIED ARTS OF THE ROCHESTER

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

MAY

22,

1973

ADVISORS:

HOBART COWLES

DR. ROBERT JOHNSTON

^

*1

9

The purpose of this thesis is. to explore various

tocheques of _{making large clay} forms on the potter* s

wheel. I will explore the limitations and possibilities

of _{making large} pots and perhaps some sculpture from

a single piece of clay. I will also search out the

possibilities and limitation of "coil-thrown" forms.

I hope to achieve In these large forms an aesthetic

unltjr _{and a}

spontaneity that I have achieved in smaller

forms. The works will be fired to stoneware.

CONTENT0

PHILOSOPHIC/^ _{ALTITUDE 1}

FORMING METHODS, .3

MAKING A LAPGE POT FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF CLAY ''

COIL - THROW TECHNIQUE.

*

6

DESIGN OF LARGE PIECES

8

SECTION - THROW TECHNIQUE ?

SOME CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT FIRING .

9

QUALITY OF CLAY 10

MOVING LARGE POTS. .10

SUMMARY _.32

EMBELLISHMENT,

FORMULAS FOR CLAY BODY AND GLAZES

35

CONCLUSION

45

BIBLIOGRAPHY 46

ILLUSTRATIONS

..

-11 -

31

COLOR PLATES . ,,

ptoj-Tj oppTJnrc.AT ATrpTTTTrE

^ach material has unique qualities. What attracts me

to _clay is its _ability to take

texture,

its _plasticity

and its _ability to accept fire and glaze without

being

destroyed. I believe that the artls+r should

use p. material with respect to the job he has to

do,

the _economy and ease with which that material will

allow him to do that

job,

with respect to the

unique _quality that the material possesses and because he responds _emotionally to that material.

An artist should st^-'ve to find and

develop

that unique _quality which sets him apart from others. This'

has to ^o with

finding

what he likes and dis

likes,

the _way in which he perceives and interprets

stimulation and his ability to express his perceptions in a given material.

Tbe Importance of work In an artists*

develop

ment cannot be over estimated. Without challenging

and

taxing

involvement, there can be Mttle growth

and maturation. Work sharpens the aesthetic sense

2

Watching

a tight rope walker Inch his _way across

a _wire,

tilting

_{from side to side, is}

exciting, almost

frightening.

Hearing

music that has just the right

tempo,

just the right

instrumentation,

just the

right mood can ve a _{very moving} and memorable

experience.

Seeing

a pot of a particular shape, tex

ture,

or _color, can be equally as _enriching and

memorable.

Rising

above technical

handicaps,

even

becoming

an innovator when _{necessary, utilizing} just

the right combination and number of elements, just

the right

balance,

just the right

harmony,

is the

challenge of _{the artist.}

I prefer to over-execute rather than

under-execute in an attempt to

bring

the _{clay to} a _technical

and aesthetic balance. To under-execute means that

I have not extended myself to the

fullest,

both

mentally and physically. It means that I have

stopped short of _{achieving my} aesthetic goal and that

I have accepted second quality.

By

not

trying

to

attain absolute perfection, something very important

has been compromised or lost. It should be the

philosophy of the artist to accept _{only the} best.

It Is that kind of

desire,

that kind of _quest, which

supplies food for

learning;

that makes for good

craftsmanship, and that is an important ingredient

Some potters _{may be}

fascinated

by

glaze effects

or

by

form.

This

can be perceived

Immediately

when

one looks at particular works.

Usually

there Is some

dominant

feature.

One is overwhelmed

by

the color and texture of

ancient Chinese celadon glazes. When

looking

at Iga

pbttery'

of

Japan,

one is

keenly

aware of the clay's

textural quality. I like to work with the _clay

in its plastic _state, sometimes

distorting

it,

some

times scratching \n line patterns, sometimes _rolling

on, or _stamping in design patterns. To accent these

effects, I often add small coils of clay.

Glazing

is _secondary and serves to enhance the modeling

of the clay surface. Often I like my pots better be

fore

they

are glazed.

FORMING METHODS

Making

large pots on the potter's wheel has

fascinated me from the time that I became involved with

clay. At the very

beginning

I could make _only small

forms. I was immature and unskilled with the clay.

I understood _very little about the material.

Yet,

I would struggle with a large piece of clay, some

times as much as

fifty

or _sixty pounds. Even though

I was unsuccessful at

throwing

it,

I learned _much,

I*

the _clay ras not _{rising to its fullest} extent. Just

as

important,

and somewhat _consoling, I found that

the effort of

trying

to make a _large

form,

made

throwing

a smaller piece of _clay easier.

This was the

beginning

of _my involvement. It has

taken my four years*

involvement and _my thesis work

to gain enough _{technical knowledge} and skill to get

the _{clay up into} forms that do not appear labored

and that perhaps have some aesthetic merit.

MAKING A LARGE POT FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF CLAY

At first I tried to make large forms from a

single piece of clay. The size of the pot that can

be made from a single piece of _clay is determined

by

the length of one's _arm, one's physical strength

and ingenuity. I have found that I am quite success

ful at

throwing

single forms of a weight of

thirty

to sixty pounds. At about

thirty

_pounds,

however,

the process becomes quite exhausting; especially

when a klckwheel is used.

Wedging

and _centering a large piece of _clay can

be the most _exhausting aspect of the

throwing

process.

Wedging

can be made easier

by

(1)

slicing the clay

5

(2) by

again _{cutting the}

lump

into three or four

smaller pieces and _wedging each piece separately;

(3)

these wedged pieces are again

forcefully

slapped

together

and

roughly

centered

by

_patting with the

hand into a bullet-like shape. The clay is then

placed on the wheel.

Patting

with the hand is con

tinued to

bring

the _clay to almost perfect center.1

When the wheel is

finally

spun, the potter has to exert

only a small amount of force In ordef to center the

clay.

By

making a pot from one piece of _clay, it is

easier to get a unified form and the pot can be

finished in one sitting;

however,

there is a size

limitation.

Opening

a large piece of _clay can be accomplished

in several ways, I once saw a _film of a _Japanese

potter who pounded out the center of a large piece

of _clay with his

fist,

leaving

_enoughtclay for the

bottom of the pot. He then pounded _{outward, compressing}

and widening the bottom of the piece. The

theory

behind this Is that the pounding compacts and com

presses the clay. This helps to eliminate cracks

in the bottom of pots.

1

If the piece is _{very stiff,} a wooden mallet can be

Other methods of _opening a _{large piece} of _clay

are with the fist or with a stick as the wheel spins.

In either _case, care should be taken to

keep

the fist

or stick in the center of the _clay as the potter

proceeds downward to what will become the bottom of

the pot. To make a _{strong, crack-free}

bottom,

the

fist can be used to spread the clay and to compress

the

bottom.

If one _{is making}

large,

open

forms,

the

heel of the hand can be used to open*

the clay into

a thick bowl-like shape.

There are no fixed and exact methods _{of opening}

that will _satisfy the needs or work methods of all

potters. One has to find methods that will work for

oneself, that is left to one's

ingenuity

and insight.

It is

Important,

however,

to

keep

the _clay as well

centered as possible and to

keep

the walls of the

pot uniform in thickness.

COIL - THROW TECHNIQUE

The coil and throw technique eliminates _centering

a _large piece of _clay and it requires less physical

strength. There is less stress on the electric _wheel,

and a piece of _any size can be made. The potter rolls

out a

long,

thick coil of clay, flattens the sides

slightly, and attaches it circularly to a slab

bottom.

The coll is wound upward upon itself to form a short,

added is

determined

by

the size of the form the potter

wants to make. The coils are pinched together at the

joints.

The _{clay is} then

thrown

to a desired

height

and

thickness.

_In

Japan,

_{man-size storage jars are}

made with this _method, on a two-man kickwheel.1

The

form is made in etages, the potter often _working at

intervals on several pieces. Each stage must be allowed

to stiffen _sufficiently before the next coll can be

added.

If the piece _{dries unevenly, warping} can occur

when the next coil is added. The weight of the next

coil causes the wetter side of the pot to bulge or

sag because of the pressure. This can be prevented

if the pot is dried _carefully and _evenly, or If it is

dried _artificially with a propane torch. In some

rural areas of

Japan,

pieces of

burning

charcoal are

suspended

by

a chain Into the pot. In

Cyprus,

where

there is a _hot sun all year round - the _{potters work}

out of doors - the _{sections stiffen}

quickly and _warping

is not such a _{problem. When working}

Inside,

care must

be taken to

keep

the section out of a draft because

this can cause uneven drying.

1

The two-man wheels of Cyprus and Japan are _early examples of a non-electric power t-?hc*l. The potter

and his aide

(who

propels the wheel) must work in

DESIGN OF LARGE PIECES

More

planning

Is required when _working on large

pots. In _{many countries,} the shapes o^ _{large storage}

vessels are determined

by

tradition.

For the creative

potter, the challenge is _making new shapes. Ideas can be gotten from

throwing

smaller froms or

by

sketching.

Through my own

frustrations,

and

by looking

at traditional

pots from various _cultures, I have found that the most

effective forms are simple and uncomplicated in their

design. Sometimes accentuations are made at points

where successive colls are added,

forming

an

interesting

design. I have made use of this "ribbing"

in my pots.

Large coil-thrown pots tend to

dry

from the

bottom up. This can be retarded

by keeping

the lower

part of the pot covered with

dry-cleaning

plastic

or

by

wrapping with

damp

burlap

while work on the upper

part is continued. A small atomizer-like water sprayer

is also useful in

keeping

a piece moist.

SECTION - THROW TECHNIQUE

A variation of the coil and throw technique is the

section-throw technique.

Many

_contemporary potters

use this method to make large forms. I have used

this technique for most of _{my large} pieces. The pot

added to a stiffened base. The additional section

must be left thick enough to support itself and thick

enough to allow additional

throwing.

A ruler or

calipers can be used to measure the new section so

that it can be

accurately

fitted onto the stiff er one.

The new section is thrown to match the thickness and

shape of the

preceedlng

section. This method allows

one to add greater amounts of _clay than would be

possible with hand-rolled colls. Tt places less stress

on the _preceedlng structure because the section is

already centered and thrown to some extent.

SOME CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT FIRING

Few pots were lost in the glaze

firing}

however,

great care was taken not to bisque too fast. Rapid

heating

generates too much _steam, too _quickly, which

can explode or crack the wall of a _{pot. In} some

African and Middle Eastern countries, straw or grass

is burned Inside of large pots before

they

are fired.

This eliminates excess moisture from the bone

dry

clay.

Care was also taken to eliminate hairline cracks

caused

by

too low a

bisque.

Instead of a cone 010

or 08

bisque,

all pieces were fired to cone

05,

and

the

firing

time was lengthened

by

four hours in both

10

Wide bottomed pieces tended to crack more

than

the narrow bottomed pieces. In the

bisque,

all pieces

were elevated on _stilts, one or two Inches

high,

to

allow for complete circulation of the heat.

(Even

with a slow

firing,

I continued to lose wide bottomed

pieces.) And since I prefer the elegant look of a

smaller

base,

I kept _my pots narrow at the foot.

QUALITY OF CLAY

A _clay of good _plasticity is an asset in making

large pots.

Usually,

plasticity in a _clay

body

can

be improved

by

_aging or

by

the addition of Jfo or less

bentonite to a

dry

mix _clay body. A soft _clay can

ease the effort of _making a _larger pot. In some

countries, a _{thixotropic clay} Is used, enabling the

potter to work faster.

MOVING LARGE POTS

Occasionally help

is needed in _moving a large

pot, especially when the piece is wet or bone dry. ?fter

the bisque and glaze

firing

the piece can be rolled on

its foot

by

one person. If a potter has no

help,

he must design his studio in such a _way that he can

work alone. A car kiln and special castors can

WKtK-MNHSBH

HH

HBSHBB

,..*i ^

i)9KS?

I t^V*t,> "

1

^jjH

HaBHHB

;

I ,- Mi BH

?:^:':'.^^ ,:"3>

'

f>;;C ^^H

HBSN hHM

. , .*<. '

^jBjfjBB

1 1 H

^|

,.-,-"*^%C*^.--i^%*C.v,<,-'',K%?:'

':.^-C..;

J

-.HHI

4

.

1

HH

.jBjBjBjI

444s!

HMHM1I

IHjjBjBjji

IBjjHHHflH

HI

HH|

H

'

f4.

v-i,...4

4v-4:.-,

-If the _clay is very stiff a mallet

can be used to

help

'

HHH1

The clay is

slapped with the

hand to roughly

center it.

Minimal effort is

required to center

the _clay after the

v:x.A:;:ti:i:

r'4.:^^lk4^.^

A fist or a stick

can be used to open

the _clay as the

'..*

\/

\

jHRH

?t?fe'

The bottom can be made without

fully

_opening the

clay at the top. It is compressed with the fist as the wheel spins.

HnHHnH BHHH

Hi

.HHHHrH

HH

^ S. !

I

iCO%*'"j'^; .HMHHl

\\mWmW-WmWB-\m\\

1

IH H

HI BnjH HH

Hi

in

The first pulls are

made from the outside. The _clay is drawn

upward and the

top

of the form is necked

in,

allowing only enou gh room for the hand and

arm to enter.

A piece of _clay

A coil of _clay is laia down and

attached to a slab

bottom.

A second coil is

H

H

H

H

HHH

The coils are well joined both on the inside and

hjhhhhhhhhhhh|

444

HH

_hi IHHb

H I

*J

HI

II3IHH

P!tila

The

lip

is

centered, tnickened,

and necked in.

Throwing

is

continued in a

A tnick cylinder

is thrown and a

measurement is taicen.

A second cylinder

is thrown and

calibrated to fit on

The section of _clay is cut _away from the bat and

HHHHHL. Hi m^M

Hi

MP

IT

m

HHH

_hH

l

H

,

HM

H

'-_{Hi HHHHHHHHHHHHHH}

HHHHHHHHHHHI:'.HHHHHHHHHHHHHHI

HH I

HHH HH ;_HHHHHHHi

HHHHHHHHHJ

HBM

HnH HE=>1 H

HHHHHHHJ

HHHH

The _clay is

pulled upward and

collared in from the

outside.

The _clay can be pulled _{up in} a

conventional

fashion,

starting

at the

bottom,

or

the potter can work

from the

top down,

pulling up several

small amounts of

SECTION - THROW TECHNIQUE

WITH

A form is thrown

to a desired shape

and tniotaiess and

allowed to stiffen.

A measurement is

tatcen and another

section of _clay is

thrown to fit onto

HHH

HH

hhi

HHHHHH

^ IHHht

*'

H

MM

iShH

HH

3,2

SUMMARY

One can create a _variety of forms with the

techniques that are discussed _{in my} report. That is

left to his creative _ability and his ability to

make real his ideas. That is left to his desire

m

EMBELLISHMENT,

FORMULAS FOR CLAY BODY AND GLAZE J

The pots in plates

1,2,

and

3

were made from single

pieces of clay. The surfaces were decorated with a _small,

scissor-cut, plastic comb. In two of the examples

the forms have been pushed out with the finger tips

to make the _{clay look} plastic and to create a design

pattern.

In all examples an ash glaze was used on stoneware

clay

body.

The formulas for both were given to me

by

my former ceramics

teacher,

Bill

FarreTl,

of the

Art Institute of Chicago:

ASH GLAZE CONE

9

Whiting

25.

Barium

20.

Kaolin

10.

Albany

65.

Wood Ash 10.

CLAY BODY

AP Green F.C ...^3.

Cedar Heights Goldart

*J-3

Kentucky-Tenn. B.C

\k.

_ j^

Add:

Bentonite Jfo

Grog

to taste or need...

5-1:

In plate

2,

cobalt sulfate was sprayed over the ash

38

Examples

kt

5,

and

6

were thrown with the

section-throw-technique.

In

these

pots, the ribbing, in many

instances,

represents the points where additional _clay was added.

Sometimes,

however,

these ridges are present

for aesthetics only. The pinched effect on the

lip

of example

b

and in the _ribbing of pot

5

resulted

from a look at a Cretan pot.

However,

in my work with

large pots, I can see how this _pinching evolved

naturally as a result of the

forming

process.

(A

coil

of _clay is pinched onto a stiffer section to make

a larger form.

)

A small concaved roller was used to

create the

deep

ridges on the green plantei*

pictured

in plate 5*

Green glaze formulat Cone

9

^0

_clay

tf-0 ash

10 Spar

HH

HH

HH

HHHHHHH

";o'3:!s.S<#;'ii

45

"PUCLUSION

As a result of _my the^s work _my smaller pots

have become

more refined and I concentrate more on their form. I had expected _{my large} pots to become expressionist

and casual as _my small pots were before I started _my

thesis.

Instead,

I found that the methods employed

in making large forms and the difference In scale

made it

difficult,

if not

impossible,

to execute

a _large form as if it were a small piece. Often in

undertaking a specific

task,

one must make adjust

ments in his original plan and he should realize

that the results of his efforts will not always meet

his expectations. It is the depth of the work effort

46

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Herbert H. Sanders

The World of Japanese C-_ramies

Kodansha

International

_Ltd.

Tokyo,

Japan & Palo .A!to, Calif., U.S.A.

I967.

Daniel Rhodes

Tamla

Pottery

Kodansha International Ltd.

Tokyo,

Japan & Palo

Alto,

Calif,,

U.S.A.

I967.

George H. Weltner

Shojl,

Hamada,

Japanese Potter